Two-wheeled vehicle



UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

HENRY w. VIETMEYER, or COLUMBUS, 01110.

TWO-WH EELED VEH lCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 411,843, dated October 1, 1889.

Application filed July 22, 1389- Serial No. 318,282- (No model.)

To (all 21171 0772, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY XV. VIETMEYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at C0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Qhio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Twoheeled Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the improvement of two-wheeled vehicles or carts; and the objects of my invention are to provide a vehicle of this class with adjustable scale-beams so constructed and connected with the vehicle as to admitof their being adjusted to regulate the supporting-power of the spring for different weights; to admit of the use in conjunction with said attachments of an ordinary halfleaf spring; to so connect said scale-beams with the vehicle-shafts as to prevent the forward and backward movement of the spring and yet admit of the desired amount of lateral and vertical play of the same; to provide superior means for adjusting the height of the vehicle-seat; to connect the seat-supporting irons with the shaftcircle bar, so as to obviate the tendency of the parts to rattle, and to accomplish these objects in a simple and inexpensive manner. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a two-wheeled vehicle, showing the wheels removed and having my improvement connected therewith. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of one of the hinge-plates connecting the circle-bar and seat-supportin g iron. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line a: a: of Fig. 2. Fig. is a rear end elevation of a twoavheeled vehicle, showing my improved scale-beam connected therewith. Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of one of the hinge plates with which is connected, by means of hangers, the adjustable scale-beams. Fig. 6 is a perspective view in detail showing the connection of the scale-beams and springbar hinge-plate.

circlc bar in the manner hereinafter specified, while the rear portions are curved upward and made to support a seat D in the usual manner.

0 represents an ordinary half-leaf spring having its upper and central portion bound by clips 0 to a horizontal spring-bar c. This spring and its bar are supported, as shown,

, and hereinafter described, slightly in front of the axle and beneath the seat.

Bolted or otherwise secured to the upper side of the spring-bar near each end thereof is the foot of an upwardly-extending bracket or arm f, the upper end of which is provided with an outwardly-proj ecting pin f, which is made to pass and project through the desired one of a number of pin-holes 5, formed in the adjoining seat of the bar (1.

Secured to the under side of the spring-bar e, adjoining each of its ends, is a hinge-plate g, to the outer end of each of which is jointedly connected the inner end of a scale beam or bar 7t, which extends outwardly to a point beyond the outer end of and approximately parallel with the spring 0. Each of these scale-bars has formed on its under side in its outer portion two or more notches h, as shown, and is connected at about the center of its length with the corresponding outer end of the spring by means of a short link or rod i, which has its respective ends pivotally connected with said scale-beam and spring end.

Secured to the under side of the rear portion of each of the thills G at about the point where the latter is bent forwardly in a horizontal line is a hinge-plate or lug 7t, one end of which is provided with a short downward extension 71 This extension it" is provided with a bolt-hole running in a parallel direction with the thill. Made to pass through this hole is a bolt or pin 70 on the outer projecting ends of which are respectively sup ported pivotally or j'ointedlythe divided arms of the upper end of a hanger Z. The lower end of this hanger is in the form of a loop, as shown, and is adapted to be made to engage, as shown in Fig. i of the drawings, with the desired one of the notches h of the scalebeam on that side.

Owing to the fact that each of the beams h projects beyond the corresponding end of the spring 0, and owing to the pivotal connection gagemcnt with said seat-bars.

of said scale-beams and spring,it will be seen that when the lower end of the thill-hanger Z is supporting the outer end of the beam h by engaging with the outer notch thereof, or any notch beyond the outer end of the spring, the length of said spring will be practically increased, the scale-beam acting as an extension thereof. The length of the connecting rods or links 2' and hangers Z are such as to hold the scale-beams h in approximately parallel lines with the outer portions of the spring, which greatly assists the beams in the proper performance of their offices of spring extensions. WVhen the weight on the seat is to be increased-for instance, when there are more than one person to ride thereon-it will be seen that the hangers Z may be made to engage with the desired one of the inner notches of the beams h, which will operate to practically decrease the length of the spring, and thus enhance its utility for heavy weights. The upper arms of the hanger Z being hinged, as shown and described, against the forward and rear side of the hinge-plate 7.3, it will be seen that any tendency of the spring 0 to be pulled forward or backward, which is well known to be injurious .to the spring, will, through the connection of said hanger therewith,be obviated.

In case it is desired to raise or lower the seat it maybe accomplished by removing the bolts which connect the brackets f and the seat-bars d, and drawing the brackets inward until the pins f thereof are released from en- The seat and its supporting-bars may then be raised or lowered to the desired point, when the bracketpins may each be made to again engage with one of the pin-holes s of the seat-bar flange and the lower ends of said brackets may be again bolted to the spring-bar.

The forward end of each of the seat-bars is pivotally connected with the usual shaft circle-bar t by having its central rib or flange hinged or pivoted between the lower portions of two downwardly-parallel extending lugs m of aplate a, thelatterbeingsecured, as shown,

to the circle-bar. Each of thesedownwardlyextending lugs m ,is provided with a central and vertical depression or recess m on its inner surface,which extends from the under side of the plate a to the lower end of said lugs. The object of thesevertical depressions is to admit of the insertion between the lugs m to the upper end of said lugs of a short section of coiled spring p,which, as shown, is made to bear within the upper portion of said depressions and between the upper end of the seatbar and the lower side of the plate n. As will be readily seen, these springs form cushions for the forward ends of the seat-bar and serve to hold them in such connection with the thillplates and their lugs as to prevent rattling It will be seen that the parts herein shown and described are comparatively simple in construction and may be manufactured at a slight expense.

Although the scale-beams herein shown are described as being connected at their inner ends with the spring bar, it is obvious that said beams maybe connected with the seatbars or otherparts of the vehicle-frame,i f desired.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a two-wheeled vehicle, a scale-beam for the purpose of practically increasing or decreasing the length of the vehicle-spring, said beam being jointedly connected with said spring and its bar and adjustably supported by hangers, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the frame-work of a two-wheeled vehicle, of a scale-beam for the purpose of practically increasing or de creasing the length of the vehicle-spring, said beam being jointedly connected with said spring and adj ustably supported by hangers, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

HENRY \V. VIETMEYER.

In presence of J. J. THORNBURGH, BARTON GRIFFITH; 

